


Colour My World

by shirewalker



Category: The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Best Friends, Blooming feelings, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Don't copy to another site, F/M, Painting, Roommates, Secret Crush, Slow Burn, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, but like the kind of slow burn that could go from zero to hundred in a couple of extra fics, do not confuse with war paint. this is very much a war where paint is the tool, like a cool math graph, not the accessory. tho it does become accessory., paint war
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-24 07:55:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21096038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shirewalker/pseuds/shirewalker
Summary: Alina and Nikolai repaint their place. They're best friends. Alina may have some secret feelings to face.





	Colour My World

**Author's Note:**

> it's been 84 years since a G rated fic aksjdkasd enjoy xD

White was great. Fantastic even! But Alina was tired of it. So tired.

“I know it’s your place, but we live together.” She started and planted a plate full of Nikolai’s favourite cookies right in front of her best friend.

His eyes widened at the sight before a grin quirked his lips, “Bribery, sunshine? For what, pray tell?”

She rolled her eyes and sat in front of him, “I want to repaint my room.”

A pause. Then, “It’s your room, Alina, I don’t see what I have to do with it.”

As per usual, Nikolai acted as though she wasn’t the invited one into his place, as though she owned it as much as he did. It infuriated her at times. “Nikolai, you’re the owner. It’s at least polite to ask if I can repaint.”

Nikolai nodded and picked a cookie from the plate. He took a slow bite and chewed on it, rather loudly, before swallowing down and resting his chin on his palm, “All right, you can repaint your room. If…”

Alina held her breath. Here it comes, Nikolai’s ridiculous requests…

“You help me pick a colour for our living room. It needs… something.”

She blinked. “You… You want to repaint more than my room?”

“Of course, sunshine. You know,” He took another cookie and watched it, “It’s actually such an incredible coincidence that you came to ask me about this.”

She knew she shouldn’t, and yet… she asked, “What do you mean?”

The grin he flashed was infinitely insufferable, “I was about to ask you if you wanted to repaint the living room with me. Look at us, having the same ideas… I’d say it’s fate.”

She scoffed and took the plate away from him just as Nikolai was reaching for a third cookie, “Keep dreaming, Nikolai.”

* * *

“So… Blood red?” Nikolai suggested, his tone serious enough to sound… serious.

Alina spared him a glance, taking in the way his eyes sparkled with mischief, “Sure. The bathroom would look fantastic in red.”

Slowly, she watched the corners of his mouth tremble as Nikolai held back his laughter. He covered his mouth and shook, silently laughing for a good while. Finally, he took a breath and winked at her, “Oh, sunshine. You’re amazing.”

Alina blinked in surprise. What kind of reply was that?

“All right, I think a soft lavender would be great for the living room.” He pointed towards a soft, pale shade of lavender that loomed a little over their head. “Or that periwinkle shade. Either would be great.”

Alina forced herself to focus on the matter at hand and shrugged, “Maybe I’ll keep the periwinkle for my room and the lavender for the living room.”

Nikolai arched an eyebrow and grinned, “Sounds like a winning match to me.” He noted down the references and moved down the wall of swatches a little, “But the bathroom needs a change too.”

“Yeah,” She said, her attention still stuck in his earlier words, the way he looked at her as he said them and… the way her heart stuttered through it all. She shook her head and tried to flash a teasing smile, “That beige is just too… Beige.”

“Deathly so, sunshine. Deathly so. White?”

She nodded, happy for changing the subject so swiftly and without making Nikolai suspicious.

Suspicious of what? There was nothing to be suspicious. Only her train of thoughts and her own mind pulling tricks on her.

“Then I think I’ll make the order. Meet me by the unloading dock so we can get those buckets.” He winked and walked away, leaving Alina behind and wondering why… why she had thought he’d kiss her.

* * *

“Buying paint? Sounds… domestic.” Genya chuckled from the other side of the line.

Alina rolled her eyes, watching clients walk past with carts loaded to the brim with craft and painting supplies, “Genya, stop.”

“Stop what?”

“Trying to match-make us. We’re friends!”

“And yet you’re making repaint plans together, like David and I did a few months ago.” Genya sighed, “I really don’t understand how blind you can be not to see the way he looks at you, or the way _you_ look at him.”

“I… We… There’s no look.” Sure, there was the fact that he was too magnetic to look away, or the random moments she’d hope he’d kiss her, but there were no looks.

“Sure, Alina. I believe you.” A snort, “Call me back when you’re ready to face the music. I really look forward to seeing you with doe-eyes or a permanent smile.”

“Shut up.”

“Love you too!”

Alina put her phone away and sighed. Genya was being ridiculous, there was no music to face. Especially with Nikolai. He was her best friend. And an incorrigible flirt. When she’d sworn off love she had been sure to include incorrigible flirts and short flings. And as unique as Nikolai was…

“All paid, sunshine. We can pick our paints and get to work.” Nikolai announced, startling Alina, who had been too distracted with her thoughts to see him coming.

She stood and dusted her jeans, “Good, because I’m starving.”

Nikolai flashed a grin, “Coffee and blini?”

“God, yes.”

* * *

With the bathroom taken care of and Alina’s room drying for the second coat, the two of them now busied themselves with the living room. Lavender was starting to take over two walls of the room, Nikolai in charge of one and Alina of another. 80s music blasted from their stereo, and Alina bobbed her head to the upbeat tempo.

While Nikolai whistled along, off-key, as usual.

“Keep at it and birds will come flying in just to teach you how to whistle in key.” She said.

Nikolai chuckled, “My whistling is perfect, sunshine.”

She snorted but didn’t reply.

“Do you disagree?” His voice dropped a little and Alina froze. Regret was beginning to settle.

She dared a look over her shoulder. Nikolai had turned to her, his brush in one hand. There was something sizzling in his eyes, something that promised swift revenge for her teasing remark. Oh no, she was going to pay dearly now.

Suddenly, something wet splattered on her face. “Oh my god, Nikolai!” She screeched and sputtered paint, though the taste refused to leave.

He giggled and splattered her again, “Lavender looks good on you, sunshine.”

Alina cursed under her breath and reached for a large brush, dunked it in paint and aimed at Nikolai. The speed at which his gleeful expression melted into one of pure fear was nearly worth it all. Except, she wanted revenge.

Nikolai gasped and ducked behind a plastic covered chair, before peeking and throwing more paint in her direction, “Oh, you mischievous Alina! War, huh?”

She fled her spot and reached for more paint, “You should see yourself, Nikolai! You look like someone dunked purple cake batter on you. Ah!” She screamed when he showed up at her side and smeared her overalls before she could escape.

Before long, the two were dripping paint, gasping for air and screaming throughout the whole room.

Until Nikolai decided it was time. And tackled Alina.

“Oof!” All air fled from her lungs as they rolled around, paint covering whatever parts of them had remained clean.

Finally they stopped rolling, with Nikolai on top of her, a victorious grin curving his mouth. “I win.”

Alina rolled her eyes, “You’re such a kid sometimes.”

His chuckle was as unaffected as ever, “Proudly so. Now… my reward.”

Her stomach sank, and soared. Her heart began beating too fast, her cheeks heating up. Because her brain had taken their position, Genya’s teasing and his words and presented Alina with an interesting scenario…

But Nikolai’s words were far from what she was thinking, taking her by surprise. “You have to admit out loud how much you love my whistling, sunshine. I know you do, you know you do… All that is left is you admitting it out loud.”

She blinked, “That’s it?”

A blonde eyebrow arched, “Got anything else in mind?”

Alina coughed and looked away for a moment, “No. Fine… I…” She cleared her throat, “I love your whistling. Off-key and all. Happy?”

He leaned in and tucked away a lock of her hair, is eyes locked on it for a long, charged moment. Then his eyes found hers, darker than before, something mysterious burning in them, “You have no idea, sunshine.”

Alina’s heartbeat was growing deafening. She needed air. Saints, oh saints.

She scoffed and pushed him off of her, her best friend rolling to his back with ease, “You’re impossible.”

She could hear the self-satisfied grin in his voice, “You love me all the most for that, Alina.”

She scoffed again and walked away, “I’m going to clean myself. I’m dripping paint!”

Nikolai’s laughter followed her all the way to the bathroom, her cheeks burning so red she was sure poppies were jealous of their shade. God, Nikolai was so…! He was so…!

Alina groaned and locked the door, banging her head softly against the wood. She groaned again and cursed the stars. Because Genya was right. She was in love with Nikolai.

“I’m doomed.”

**Author's Note:**

> ahh love! I wonder how much of alina's feelings did nikolai read in her face hehehehe
> 
> feedback/comments/fangirling is good brain food *chef's kiss*


End file.
